The family of 3-year-old Keterrius “KJ” Starkes Jr., who died after being left in a hot car for more than five hours, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court against multiple defendants, including a contracted social worker, state and county Department of Human Resources employees, and Covenant Services, Inc.
The tragedy has caused heartbreak across the state and a demand from many for a closer look at how the foster care system operates in the state. Shortly after the incident, State Sen. Merika Coleman (D-Pleasant Grove) stated, “As a mother and as the Senator for the district where this tragedy happened, I am devastated by the death of little KeTorrius Starks Jr. We need answers, and we may need to examine state law to make sure this never happens again. My prayers are with his family.”
The complaint, filed August 8, names Kela Stanford, Covenant Services, Inc., Executive Director Roderick Henderson, and several Jefferson County and Alabama Department of Human Resources employees as defendants, along with unidentified individuals listed as fictitious defendants. The lawsuit alleges negligence, wantonness, and other wrongful conduct that the family claims led to the child’s death.
Court documents state that on July 22, Starkes was in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources and being transported by Stanford, an employee of Covenant Services, for a supervised visit with his father in Bessemer. After the visit ended around 11:30 a.m., Stanford allegedly ran personal errands with the child still in the vehicle before returning home around 12:30 p.m. and leaving him strapped inside the parked car with the windows up and engine off.
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Authorities reported that the child remained in the vehicle from approximately 12:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. at a residence in the 1500 block of Pine Tree Drive in Birmingham. During that time, the National Weather Service had issued a heat advisory with outdoor temperatures above 95 degrees and a heat index between 105 and 109 degrees. Experts estimate the inside of the vehicle could have reached 150 degrees.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded to the scene after the child was discovered and pronounced Starkes dead at 6:03 p.m. The lawsuit claims that during the hours he was missing from daycare, none of the defendants inquired about his whereabouts.
The complaint further alleges that the defendants breached mandatory duties to provide safe transportation and protect the child from abuse or neglect. It states that Starkes remained in an unsafe environment that ultimately caused his death.
On August 1, Stanford, 54, was arrested and accused of one count of leaving a child or an incapacitated person unattended in a motor vehicle resulting in serious physical injury, according to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
The family is seeking punitive damages, interest, and court costs.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
